Outdoor or Indoor? The Choice is yours really. But to help you decide lets break down some of the benefits and draw backs of each.

Outdoor Sessions

 

Probably the most appealing aspect of outdoor sessions is the naturalness. You just can't beat natural sun light. It makes skin look incredible, highlights and tones are more realistic, and lets face it, no backdrop in the world can beat natures canvas.

Also very little equipment is needed for outdoor photo shoots so they can be easy and fast to accomplish in a small time frame. I love outdoor sessions because of the wide variety of backdrops we can use from one location.

And in most cases the Photographer can come to you, because even a simple backyard can result in amazing pictures.

But there are some draw backs. First is Weather, while some amazing pictures can be captures on a beautiful overcast day, (yes I said overcast, even rainy), the bright sunshine can make it much more challenging. It can case harsh shadows and uneven skin tones. But this is workable because I have some some amazing portraits in the bright sun.

The other thing is Rain. While I did say you can take beautiful pictures in the rain, it does present challenges. Moister to the equipment and moisture to the model. It's really hard to keep that beautiful hair style in perfect place when rain is pouring down on it. But again there are tricks to working around these challenges. Think umbrellas, or taking pictures outside but maybe in a gazebo or some form of cover. You can always go bold and just take pictures standing in the rain and let it paint you with the glistening sparkle of water. I've had good results with this, and even some unforgettable shots. So if you've booked an outdoor session and it's raining, don't be so quick to cancel, ask your photographer if they have any ideas to make the weather add spice to your pictures.

Outdoor Sessions make incredible portraits.

 

 

 

Studio Sessoins

While the outdoors give some amazing pictures. So do studio shots. The nice thing about studios, is you don't have to worry about what the weather is doing or where to go to get nice backgrounds. All this is done in a nice controlled environment. It's also a way to get a more formal look and gives the ability to manipulate lighting and play with shadows. So much fun to do.

The draw backs though are a less natural look, so we have to work a little harder to keep the skin tone's looking natural.

With a studio in most cases you will have to travel to the photographer. Unless your photographer offers a portable studio and can come to you. But you will need room to set it up, usually a good 10'x10' area. Also you need electricity to set up the lighting.

If you plan on doing a portable studio, plan on adding an additional hour to your session for set up and tear down. The portable studio also adds an additional price to your photo session as it requires more time, and more equipment to transport to and from the location.

Expect much more formal looks with a studio session. These are often great for companies however as they typically require a more formal look, and they can be set up in office for convenience.

So there are several things to consider when preparing to book your photo session. Or if you can't make up your mind up, there's always the option of booking both an outdoor and a studio session at the same time. I offer this package and basically it's book a studio session and add an outdoor session for only $50.

The choice is yours, and it all depends on the style and look you're wanting to achieve.

The key though, is have fun in whatever you decide to go with.